PHOENIX, Ariz. — The men’s and women’s golf teams from Rocky Mountain College swept the team and individual championships on the final day of the Frontier/Cal Pac NAIA Qualifer Wednesday at Papago Golf Club.
Rocky’s Kristjan Burkelca and Jake Johnson fired third-round scores of 69 to pace the Battlin’ Bears on the day. The Bears’ men scored a third-round low of 285 and won by 21 strokes over Simpson University. Montana Tech finished third, five strokes behind Simpson.
Burkelca finished with a three-day total of 209, six strokes better than teammate Johnson and Simpson’s Trey Alwert, both at 215, for medalist honors. Rocky’s Aidan McDonagh was fourth at 217 and Tech’s Joseph McGreevey finished fifth at 218, nine strokes back.
On the women’s side, Rocky’s Grace Metcalf shot 234 to take top honors. Metcalf finished two strokes ahead of teammate Isabella Downing (236) as the duo helped the Bears maintain an 11-stroke edge over second-place Tech. Carroll College finished in third place, 79 strokes behind the leaders.
Kodie Hoagland and Emma Wood of Tech tied for third at 242, eight strokes behind Metcalf. Simpson’s Michelle Euan was fifth at 245.
In order to receive an automatic berth to the NAIA national championship, the Frontier and Cal Pac conferences combined on a qualifying tournament to meet the minimum number of six participating teams.
As tournament champions, the Rocky Mountain College men and women receive automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships May 20-23 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.
